Chickrobatics

I was introduced to this super little Youtube post showing a lady who had taught one of her hens to jump onto a stool, stay, then fly onto her arm.  It got me wondering how my mob might react to similar training.

Pom-Pom would bump into the stool before finding her way over to me and standing on my foot.  Another non-starter would be Titian.   She would spend a considerable length of time telling me she doesn't do running or flying.

Fizz would get half-way to the stool, spot any of the girls you care to name and rush off to ....... well, you know what he's like!

Tu-Tu would give you a long, long look and think carefully about it before wandering off to peck an Araucana.

I wouldn't even bother asking Maggie.   She would think I'd gone completely crackers to even suggest that someone of her genteel breeding might possibly contemplate behaving like some common circus performer!  Huh, the very idea! 

So that just leaves Irene, Rebecca and Punk.

I have a feeling that Punk would try to do a deal.   If I let her dig the path up, she'll perform this stunt for me.   The only problem I can see is No. 1 Son - he'd never agree to the path digging bit and that's the only deal Punk would go for.

Aha, but now we come to Irene;  she's half-way there already you see.   When we let them out into the garden, No. 1 Son won't open the gate until Irene has jumped up onto the nestbox lid.   It has become quite a routine with the pair of them.  She marches up and down in front of the gate, shouldering her way through the crowd.   He tells her she must jump on the nestbox, so she does.   Then the gate is opened and out they all come.

Well it can't be much of a leap, so to speak, from nestbox to stool to arm can it?  

The only problem I can see is that where Irene goes, Rebecca faithfully follows.   So he could end up with two chickens on his arm.  Or would Rebecca land on top of Irene and send them both toppling off?  Or, much more likely, she'd try to land between Irene's legs - after all, that's where she goes to sleep at night.  Oh no!  They would definitely fall off then!  They might break a leg or a wing or something!

That's it.  No aerial display team training for my flock, I shall insist they all stay safely grounded.